New Egyptian Navy submarine, corvette arrive in Alexandria

The latest two additions to the Egyptian Navy’s fleet reached the country’s main naval base in Alexandria on October 18.

S42, the second TKMS-built Type 209/1400 submarine, arrived in Alexandria together with corvette ENS El Fateh, the first Gowind 2500 corvette to be delivered to the Egyptian Navy by French shipbuilder Naval Group.

The submarine and the corvette met in the North Atlantic to arrive home together. The two units also carried out joint training with the French Navy en route to Egypt.

S42 was delivered to the Egyptian Navy in a ceremony on August 8, while the ENS El Fateh delivery ceremony took place on September 22.

S42 was launched in December 2016 as the second of four submarines TKMS is to build for the Egyptian Navy. The ceremony took place four months after Egypt welcomed its first submarine S41 to the naval base in Alexandria, on April 19.

Egypt initially ordered two Type-209/1400mod submarines in 2011 and later ordered two more in 2014 as replacement for its ageing Romeo-class submarines.

The vessels arrive home just in time to take part in Egyptian Navy day celebrations commemorating the day Egyptian naval forces sank Israeli destroyer INS Eilat in 1967.